Paris Police Ban Iranian Opposition Rally Amidst Foreign Minister Call

Paris-based Iranian opposition group NCRI announced on Friday that Paris police had banned its planned rally scheduled for Saturday. The ban was described by the group as “bogus.”

The decision came hours after a call between France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, where they discussed recent developments to end the Iran war. However, French foreign ministry rejected an allegation from NCRI that the ban was linked to this call.

“This allegation is false,” said the statement sent to Reuters. “The (Iranian) minister did not mention this protest or request its cancellation.”

The Paris Police Prefecture banned the planned demonstration of 100,000 people against political executions in Iran on Saturday, citing bogus reasons. Organizers had coordinated with police for two months and followed all legal procedures.

NCRI has held frequent rallies in Paris over the years, attended by thousands of people including high-profile former US, European, and Arab officials critical of the Islamic Republic.

Tehran, which bans NCRI in Iran, has long called for a crackdown on its activities in Paris, Washington, and Riyadh. Iranian state media regularly lambasts the group whose sources of funding and support are unclear.

NCRI said it was appealing the decision to ban its rally. In 2023, a court reversed an initial decision by the French capital’s police to ban an NCRI rally, which had been motivated by security concerns.

Speaking on French TV earlier, Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Iran’s population were the biggest victims of the war and that killing Iranians during protests in January should not be forgotten. He also stated that France was setting up a platform for artists in exile to fully express themselves, independent of any political considerations.